Archive for September 2008

The album Legend is a compilation of some of the greatest hits by Bob Marley and the Wailers. Sometimes it is easy to think of “greatest hits” as just a money-grabbing attempt by record companies to milk as much money as possible out of musicians. And in many cases that is probably true. But then again, if an artist has created enough great songs to even think about compiling a collection, it makes sense to celebrate their best work in a definitive album. And that is certainly the case with Legend. Whether as part of the original Wailers, as a solo artist or as a frontman, Bob Marley is a musician who transcends any boundaries of musical genre or taste. And that transcendent quality turned into commercial success with Legend the best selling reggae album of all time.

Containing a mix of songs from Marley’s career, including three from the early Wailers lineup, Legend is a feast for the ears. What separates the truly great songs from the rest of the crowd is that undefinable essence where the musician and the audience connect through the music on a deep emotional level. And to find an album where every song permeates that essence is very difficult. Legend is one of those albums, in fact it could the very definition of them. The phrase “all killer, no filler” could never be truer than on this album. If you do not love Bob Marley after listening to Legend, there is not something wrong with Marley, there is something wrong with you.

This week’s weekly THE WORD comes from one of my favourite bands, The Clash. The song Lost in the Supermarket appears on the 1979 album London Calling (ranked #8 on Rolling Stone Magazine’s 500 greatest albums of all time). More so than many other punk rock bands, The Clash politicised their lyrics and addressed many social, political and ethical issues of modern times. Lost in the Supermarket is a song that laments the rampant commercialisation of our times and the subsequent isolation one feels while drowning in a mass of consumerism. Lost in the Supermarket indeed:

Lost in the Supermarket – The Clash

I’m all lost in the supermarket
I can no longer shop happily
I came in here for the special offer:
Guaranteed Personality

I wasn’t born, so much as I fell out
Nobody seemed to notice me
We had a hedge back home in the suburbs
Over which I never could see

I heard the people who lived on the ceiling
Scream and fight most scarily
Hearing that noise was my first ever feeling
That’s how it’s been all around me

I’m all lost in the supermarket
I can no longer shop happily
I came in here for the special offer:
Guaranteed Personality

I’m all tuned in; I see all the programmes
I save coupons from packets of tea
I’ve got my giant hit discotheque album
I empty a bottle, I feel a bit free

The kids in the halls and the pipes in the walls
Make me noises for company
Long distance callers make long distance calls
And the silence makes me lonely

I’m all lost in the supermarket
I can no longer shop happily
I came in here for the special offer:
Guaranteed Personality

It’s not here
It disappeared

I’m all lost in the supermarket
I can no longer shop happily
I came in here for the special offer:
Guaranteed Personality

I’m all lost in the supermarket
I can no longer shop happily
I came in here for the special offer:
Guaranteed Personality

I’m all lost (I’m all lost in the supermarket)
I’m all lost (I can no longer shop happily)
I’m all lost (I came in here for the special offer: Guaranteed Personality)

I’m all lost (I’m all lost in the supermarket)
I’m all lost (I can no longer shop happily)
I’m all lost (I came in here for the special offer: Guaranteed Personality)

I’m all lost in the supermarket
I can no longer shop happily
I came in here for the special offer:
Guaranteed Personality

I’m all lost
I’m all lost
I’m all lost

I’m all lost in the supermarket
I can no longer shop happily
I came in here for the special offer:
Guaranteed Personality

A sci-fi film that is funny? A teen film that makes you think? A love story that shocks? A cult film that questions the nature of the universe? Yes, Donnie Darko is not exactly your typical Hollywood film and does not easily fit into any genre. The film had only a small release in 2001 but grew in popularity on DVD and gained a rather large cult following, which prompted a director’s cut release in 2004. It is director/writer Richard Kelly’s film all the way and is quite a delving into the slightly odd thoughts that must be going through his mind. But that little bit off oddity, along with the obvious passion he has, make this film a must see.

Starring Jake Gyllenhaal as the titular Donnie, we are drawn into the world of this prodigiously intelligent young high school student in the mid eighties who starts experiencing some rather strange hallucinations, involving a giant bunny rabbit that is heralding the end of the world. Still with us? Good. Well after having found out that the world is going to end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds from this rather specific and oddly disturbing giant bunny rabbit, we follow Donnie as he navigates his way through suburban America and all the trials that a typical teenager encounters. Only Donnie’s world is not typical at all. Sure he deals with problems at school, teenage love and friction with his family but it all occurs in a rather skewed reality where there is a real feeling of impending doom and more than a touch of supernatural weirdness. To go more into the story would only ruin it as the film is best experienced with an open mind and there is real joy in watching this very original narrative unfold.

Jake Gyllenhaal as the ill-fated Donnie is truly a memorable performance. He manages to capture a mergence of rebellion, teen awkwardness, eccentricity and cult hero, all which seems to be encapsulated in the name, Donnie Darko. Gyllenhaal is joined here by a splendid supporting cast who portray a group of characters that are fascinating in the duality of their normality and strangeness. Holmes Osborne and Mary McDonnell as Donnie’s parents are terrific, both genuinely interesting characters who only add to the audience’s understanding of Donnie. Jena Melone as Donnie’s love interest is both sweet and alluring, while Patrick Swayze steps right out of his comfort zone and into Jim Cunningham, a deluded and sleazy self-help guru with much to hide. Noah Wyle, Drew Barrymore, Katharine Ross ,Beth Grant and Maggie Gyllenhaal (real life sister to Jake) round out the cast, and look out for a young Seth Rogen.

An interesting blend of science fiction, humour, drama, teen-love and a touch of sadness, all encased in a dream-like surrounding, at first indicate a project perhaps a touch too ambitious for Richard Kelly’s first major film. But you get the sense that this inexperience is a blessing for the film. Donnie Darko is unhindered by any standard Hollywood parameters that have turned so many modern films into regurgitated clones of everything else. Kelly’s powerful script mixed with his directing style full of sentimental nuance, together with the richly acted characters has created a very unique cinematic experience. Donnie Darko is one of those films that transcends the screen and really connects with the viewer on a deep, emotional level, and stays with you long after the credits have faded to black.

For this segment of THE WORD we have the opneing line to one of the greatest films ever made, Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas.

The film is based on the book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, which tells the true story of Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), a gangster with ties to the New York Mafia, who ended up as an FBI informant. The films portrays the rough and ruthless but often glamourous lifestyle the wiseguys of the mob revelled in. Goodfellas is wonderfully written, directed and acted and is rightly thought of as a true Scorsese masterpiece.

The opening line (part of Henry Hill’s narration) sets the tone for the film, and right from the get-go you are swept along for the the ride:

Here are Outside the Frame’s pick for the best team from the Tri-Nations for 2008:

Tony Woodcock

Bismarck du Plessis

Greg Somerville

James Horwill

Victor Matfield

Rocky Elsom

Richie McCaw (c)

Rodney So’oialo

Ricky Januarie

Dan Carter

Lote Tuqiri

Jean de Villiers

Stirling Mortlock

Richard Kahui

Mils Muliaina

Andrew Hore

CJ van der Linde

Ali Williams

Juan Smith

Jimmy Cowan

Matt Giteau

Conrad Jantjes

Despite a few matches being very one-sided, overall the tournament was a very close affair with no team really dominating. As the winners of the series obviously the All Blacks are best represented with 10 players followed by 7 South Africans and 5 Australians. Richie McCAw had to be named captain for inspiring an All Black comeback in the tournament and for simply being the most influential player in world rugby today for his teammates, opposition players and of course the referees.

2008: another year for New Zealand dominance in the Tri-Nations rugby series. With their 28-24 win over Australia in Brisbane on Saturday night, the All Blacks secured another tournament win, taking their overall tally to 9, leaving South Africa and Australia on a paltry 2 each. The All Blacks also retained the Bledisloe Cup (competed for by Australia and New Zealand) for another year, which they have held since 2003. This leaves the final Bledisloe match in Hong Kong as simply an exhibition game.

The game itself was a fairly close encounter, especially considering the walloping the Wallabies received from the Springboks two weeks earlier. Australia cleaned up many of the mistakes from that match and come out as a much tighter package. They looked pretty good in the first half with most of the possession and territory, yet still found themselves leaking the first try of the match to All Black fullback Mils Muliaina. While Australia seemed to be the ones in control of the game, New Zealand were in fact the more dangerous looking team in attack, and while defending much of the opening half, they took their chances and were rewarded. The Wallabies managed to make something of their possession advantage just before half time when Adam Ashley-Cooper crossed after a clever cross-field kick from flyhalf Matt Giteau to winger Peter Hynes, who put the fullback across the line.

The second half started very well for the men in gold, who after coming out of the sheds firing, found themselves 10 points ahead when lock James Horwill bashed his way through the All Black defense, putting the score 17 to 10 in favour of the Wallabies. This however was the beginning of the end for Australia, as they seemed happy to rest on their laurel and slackened the pace off a bit, while the New Zealanders did just the opposite and stepped up their attack to score three tries in less than 20 minutes. And with each try the game just kept slipping further and further away from the Wallabies. A try from Ryan Cross in the 78th minute mustered up a little hope for a last minute win, but the All Blacks were not prepared to let the game, and indeed the silverware on offer, go once it was in their grasp.

On a whole the two teams were rather evenly matched, but the All Blacks were the team who knew what they had to do to win, and came out and did the job. The Wallabies might count themselves a bit unlucky to lose the match and the trophies as they do have a team who can beat the All Blacks. But you can not give a team like the All Blacks the chance to get back in the game, which is exactly what Australia did in the middle of the second half.

Both the Springboks and the Wallabies will be very disappointed with their respective Tri-Nations campaigns. At different times during the series, both teams looked like favourites to win, and will be wondering how New Zealand, who at the beginning of the tournament were the best bet for last on the ladder, mounted a great comeback to clinch the series. Richie McCaw’s return was the catalyst for the All Black’s return to form, as with their captain back New Zealand formed a cohesiveness to their team and gameplay that was just too much of a challenge for the other two teams to overcomes. Australia and South Africa must wait a year for another crack at winning the top rugby union tournament in the world, and will probably be hoping McCaw will be injured when that time rolls around again.

The Tri-Nations series of 2008 will be decided on Saturday night in Brisbane in the final match of the tournament. With New Zealand on 14 points and Australia on 13, it is a simple matter of the victor of the match will be the winner of the series. Adding more to the already fiery clash, the Bledisloe Cup may or may not also be decided on the game. A win for New Zealand would wrap up the Trans-Tasman trophy for them, with the final game in Hong Kong becoming a dead rubber exhibition match. However, if the Wallabies find a win in Brisbane, they still have to knock over the All Blacks in Hong Kong or the trophy stays with the men in black, who won it last year. So this weekend’s match is the most important of the year for both teams.

Trying to predict a winner is complicated by the fact that this year has seen quite a tumultuous set of results in the Tri-Nations tournament. South Africa managed to win away in New Zealand and looked favourites to win the series, only to crumble in two consecutive home games and finish last on the table, but still managed to inflict a devastating defeat over Australia in their last clash. And New Zealand who looked quite weak in the first half of the series, mounted a comeback with the return of captain Richie McCaw and now sit on top of the ladder. While Australia have been highly inconsistent, with two impressive home wins leveled out by two horrible losses playing away. But in the end it all comes down to the final game of the tournament between the cross-Tasman rivals.

On paper, the All Blacks look to be the team to choose. Consistency with player combinations is often the key in these type of matches, and by sticking with the same roster that defeated the Springboks in Cape Town, the All Blacks will be confident in their team cohesiveness. Add to that the factor of captain Richie McCaw, who was at the centre of the mid-tournament turnaround by the team, New Zealand look as very strong favourites for taking the match.

The Wallabies will be a much less settled camp than their rivals. With the record loss to the Springboks in their last match, the Australian’s will be feeling the repercussions as the search for what went wrong will no doubt be the cause of a few changes in the team and their game-plan. Timana Tahu and Tatafu Polota-Nau are the main casualties, both dropped from the team altogether, while Phil Waugh, Hugh McMeniman and Matt Dunning have been relegated to the bench. This gives Ryan Cross, Stephen Moore, George Smith, Nathan Sharpe and Al Baxter all a spot in the starting side. With Berrick Barnes still injured, coach Robbie Deans is gambling on putting Stirling Mortlock into inside centre and back up flyhalf, positions he has not played before internationally. This pairs him up with another strong runner of the ball, Ryan Cross, in the centres and could be a clever tactic in controlling the midfield and putting pressure on Dan Carter.

The match at Ellis Park two weeks ago could affect the Wallaby mentality in two ways: it could cause doubts to set in or it could fire them up to restore their pride. And with the prospects of winning their first Tri-Nations since 2001 and getting closer to the Bledisloe Cup, as well is the game being at home, the Wallabies could have a very good chance of beating the more favoured All Blacks.